KSP1 Computer Building/Buying Megathread

[Harry Rhodan]

1 hour ago, xendelaar said:

I was thinking of the 3000 MHz strips (Link). What would you suggest?

With that kind of budget I would go with 32GB and take the 3200MHz modules. They don't cost much more for the 16GB kit and exactly the same as the 32GB 3000MHz kit: https://www.alternate.nl/Corsair/32-GB-DDR4-3200-Kit-werkgeheugen/html/product/1232199?lk=13472

[xendelaar]

4 hours ago, Harry Rhodan said:

With that kind of budget I would go with 32GB and take the 3200MHz modules. They don't cost much more for the 16GB kit and exactly the same as the 32GB 3000MHz kit: https://www.alternate.nl/Corsair/32-GB-DDR4-3200-Kit-werkgeheugen/html/product/1232199?lk=13472

Actually.. that's a very good suggestion! It's not that expensive at all! Thanks man. 

I must say I started with a 1500 euro ($1650 ) budget and ended up with a 2000 euro  ($2200) design..

I'm still wondering if should skip the i7 and go for an i5 (9600k) because I'm only using it for gaming.. I'll have to sleep on that :)

[pap1723]

I don't have a starting build to go with, but I am interested in building a new computer. I want to keep it to less than $1500 USD and if I can be significantly less than that, it would be ideal.

I mainly play KSP, KSP2, Minecraft (heavily modded), and some Paradox stuff. I would like to be able to play KSP2 with some decent graphics, but I don't need FPS 4K gaming.

My last upgrade was 6 years ago and I would assume my next one would be at least as far away. I REALLY do not care what this thing looks like, I need no pretty colors and no pretty cases.

Thanks for the help!

[Harry Rhodan]

4 hours ago, xendelaar said:

I'm still wondering if should skip the i7 and go for an i5 (9600k) because I'm only using it for gaming.. I'll have to sleep on that

Well I would actually go with a Ryzen 5 3600 then because buying a pure six core CPU while the next generation of consoles and games will be built around eight cores with SMT is a bit too optimistic.

33 minutes ago, pap1723 said:

I don't have a starting build to go with, but I am interested in building a new computer.

You could always use this handy chart to help you find a good mix of components: https://www.logicalincrements.com/

But take the advices from that list with a pinch of salt. They don't recommend the aforementioned Ryzen 5 3600 while it is stronger than the 2600 and wastes much less energy than the 3600x. Also always buy RAM in kits of two modules and look for a GPU with at least 8GB of RAM if you ever want to actually play on higher resolutions than FHD.

Edited October 24, 2019 by Harry Rhodan

[qzgy]

11 hours ago, Harry Rhodan said:

look for a GPU with at least 8GB of RAM if you ever want to actually play on higher resolutions than FHD.

Depends on the title. I personally ran ksp fine on a 6gb 1060 at 1440p with some graphics mods and stuff. However, Just cause 3 not so much...

[Barefoot Friar]

On 10/13/2019 at 4:28 AM, Harry Rhodan said:

https://gpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Intel-HD-4400-Desktop-115-GHz-vs-Nvidia-GeForce-GT-710/m8064vsm77649

No. Just no. Like Geonovast said, a used 1050 Ti (with or without additional power supply based on what your PSU is capable of) would most likely be the best option. A 1030 would also be ... well not good, but better than the 710.

In the last few years AMD really supported the opens source drivers for Linux while you still need the proprietary blob for Nvidia. You could also try looking for a used RX 470/570 if your'e willing to take the risk.

I ended up with an ASUS RX550 4GB.  I had a devil of a time getting it installed.  Turned out I was using the wrong cable between card and monitor.  I have always used RGB cables just because I had them.  This card needs either an HDMI, a Display Port, or a DVI cable, and since I found an old display port to DVI converter, I tried it.  No dice.  My (rather old) LCD monitor won't accept HDMI, so I couldn't try that either.  So I bought the seven dollar DVI cable and boom.  It worked plug-n-play.

Amazing graphics, and that's just stock.  I can look at Duna now, and can even do an EVA without stutter!  And that's with everything turned way up!

My next purchase will be an 8GB stick of RAM.  Might not help with KSP, but it will let me do other stuff in the background.

Thanks for the help!

[Nuke]

got that new rtx2070 super mini installed finally, after 2 days dremeling my elite 110 case. more to improve airflow than anything. i used 2/3s of a container of cut off wheels and destroyed a carbide drill bit to do it. drive mount bulkhead had to come out to clear the intakes on the new gpu. i also added dual fans to the other side of the case using a 3d printed mounting solution of my own design. though it does have an issue where the outer shell wont slide on in the usual way due to an unforeseen clearance issue. this literally involved using a flat edge screw driver to bend the flap upward which allows me to flex it to get it into place. installing the card itself was also kind of tricky, no matter what angle i tried to insert it, just wouldn't go in. what i did was probably the most unorthodox video card installation i have ever done. i had to remove the mounting bracket from the video card, and install it in the case. then manuver the card into position to line it up with the slot while simultanously ligning the ports with the holes in the bracket. once the card was in then i had to go through the trouble of putting the screws back into the bracket after the card was installed. this of course required me to take everything out of the case again and drill 2 holes in the structural bits so i could put my screw driver in to drive said screws (which is where i broke my carbide as it wouldn't fit in the drill press and i had to free hand it). while i was in there i dropped in another nvme drive, this time 1tb, to replace the old sata m.2 drive i was using. cabling was not a big issue, i thought id have to make a new gpu power cable, but it turns out the psu came with a spare. there was much swearing and yelling involved in the process and i think 2 of the cats are now angry with me. 

Edited November 4, 2019 by Nuke

[Harry Rhodan]

22 hours ago, Nuke said:

drive mount bulkhead had to come out to clear the intakes on the new gpu. i also added dual fans to the other side of the case using a 3d printed mounting solution of my own design

M... maybe you should accept that you might need a bigger case.

[Nuke]

15 hours ago, Harry Rhodan said:

M... maybe you should accept that you might need a bigger case.

15 liters is plenty of room thanks to mini-itx mobo,. m.2 drives and sfx power supplies. i almost dropped $200 on a dan case a4-sfx which is only 7.2 liters. of course i wouldn't build under 12 liters with air cooling, and water cooling is bloody expensive. the mods ive done are pretty effective. the computer doubles as a space heater now.

[RizzoTheRat]

On ‎10‎/‎24‎/‎2019 at 5:00 PM, xendelaar said:

Actually.. that's a very good suggestion! It's not that expensive at all! Thanks man. 

I must say I started with a 1500 euro ($1650 ) budget and ended up with a 2000 euro  ($2200) design..

I'm still wondering if should skip the i7 and go for an i5 (9600k) because I'm only using it for gaming.. I'll have to sleep on that

I built a new machine last year and had the same dilemma, in the end I went for the i5 (8600k) as gaming is the most demanding use it gets, so I'm not convinced the extra cores would be worthwhile.  I've not tried overclocking it yet but I'm starting to hit framerate limits when physics warping in KSP so it may be time to look in to it, I deliberately over specced the cooler though to be able to handle it

I'd initially started looking at Ryzen 5 with a GTX1060 but then it seems silly not to spend the extra €20-€30 here or there and the next though you know I'd nearly doubled my budget and bought a 8600k, GTX1080, bigger monitor, etc   It's a slippery slope and the pcpartpicker website is just dangerous.

[Arco123]

Oh, come on. A computer in 2013 has better specs than my I5-7400 8gb ddr4 GTX1060 3gb 1tb hdd.

You can't say your computer is bad if it's better than my 2015 build. And yes... I did choose a 7400.

[dave1904]

I'm thinking of replacing my old 4770K with a 9700K. (9900K is to expensive)I am kind of unsure about how useful it will be however since for the most part I am playing KSP. I only build PCs for the games I play. I run a heavily modded version of KSP and FPS are good considering 123 mod folders. FPS can be as low as 10 on some complex craft however so I am wondering if the single core performance boost of an 9700K over a 4700K will make much difference. The single core performance boost is said to be around 30% but I have no idea how that will translate into KSP. Anyone have any experience with different CPUs of the current generation vs Haswell?? I know the engine limitations and how mods are but is there any relevant umpf to be gained considering it would set me back atleast 700 euros for CPU, Ram and mobo. Sooner or later I will need to upgrade and am basically wondering if I should wait for the next gen?  

[Geonovast]

@dave1904, I've merged your question into the master thread for this sort of thing.

I wouldn't hold my breath for any real improvements out of intel any time soon.  The last few generations haven't been improving much at all and have all but been taken over by Ryzen.  Intel is probably still your best bet for KSP, but you may want to take a look at some of the IPC numbers for Ryzen as well.  If you're fine on waiting, maybe wait to see what the 4th generation of AMD chips have to offer.

Is your 4770K overclocked?

[dave1904]

27 minutes ago, Geonovast said:

@dave1904, I've merged your question into the master thread for this sort of thing.

I wouldn't hold my breath for any real improvements out of intel any time soon.  The last few generations haven't been improving much at all and have all but been taken over by Ryzen.  Intel is probably still your best bet for KSP, but you may want to take a look at some of the IPC numbers for Ryzen as well.  If you're fine on waiting, maybe wait to see what the 4th generation of AMD chips have to offer.

Is your 4770K overclocked?

No its not OC atm. I did test it in the past but the performance gains were around 2-5 FPS. Not really worth it and besides that my watercooling died recently and I do not want to invest anything in old hardware. To be fair the 4770K is still a great cpu considering its age. If the hype around ryzen is legit maybe but my past experiences with AMD were just not great. Forgive my ignorance about AMD CPUs but the ryzen 9 3900X is 100 euros more expensive than the 9700K and 1 year younger yet still seems slower than the 9700K with single core performance. Is a good CPU to compare the 9700K with?

I have not been following the CPU market in a a while and just started looking today. I was just looking at https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/best-cpu-for-gaming/ to start off with finding gaming cpus. 

Edit: Maybe it is best to wait. I just dont think the ingame effects will be anywhere close to 30%

Edited December 20, 2019 by dave1904

[Geonovast]

1 minute ago, dave1904 said:

Is a good CPU to compare the 9700K with?

Probably not.

As it stands right now, if IPC is the primary focus, as it will be with KSP, then it's still probably best to stick with Intel.  However, just looking at what AMD's been doing the last few years, it might be interesting to see if the tables will turn come the release of the Ryzen 4000 series.  It's not impossible that Intel may surprise us too.  Maybe they'll do something crazy like give us hyperthreading back.

I've also got a bad taste in my mouth with AMD from some of the older stuff I used to work with.  But having recently built a Ryzen system, I've gotta say I'm impressed.  Although I haven't done any KSP on that system, overall it's not, you know, terrible like AMD used to be.  My point was that AMD's worth looking into (coming from someone who was very recently in your position of not being fond of AMD), not necessarily that it would be better.

[dave1904]

1 minute ago, Geonovast said:

Probably not.

As it stands right now, if IPC is the primary focus, as it will be with KSP, then it's still probably best to stick with Intel.  However, just looking at what AMD's been doing the last few years, it might be interesting to see if the tables will turn come the release of the Ryzen 4000 series.  It's not impossible that Intel may surprise us too.  Maybe they'll do something crazy like give us hyperthreading back.

I've also got a bad taste in my mouth with AMD from some of the older stuff I used to work with.  But having recently built a Ryzen system, I've gotta say I'm impressed.  Although I haven't done any KSP on that system, overall it's not, you know, terrible like AMD used to be.  My point was that AMD's worth looking into (coming from someone who was very recently in your position of not being fond of AMD), not necessarily that it would be better.

Maybe waiting is better, after all its the worst thing in the world to invest into hardware and 6 months later something major hits the market. Cheers man. 

[SNAZZ]

Hopefully this is the correct place to ask this. (I'm new here).

Looking for some ideas for a few (cheep) upgrades to make KSP run better.

I built my PC back in 2013, was good build back then for what I needed it for.
Recently started playing KSP on it and having some problems.
Mainly my ram gets eaten alive and some stuttering sometimes.
I've done some research on how to get KSP to run better but all the info I keep finding is a few years old.

I'm running KSP 1.8.0
About 40 mods installed(no visual mod), mostly USI, Near Future and DMagic stuff.

PC build -
i5-3570K
Asus P8Z77-V LK
Corsair Vengeance 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) DDR3 1600
Kingston Digital 120GB SSDNow V300 SATA 3
WD Blue 500GB Desktop Hard Disk Drive
CORSAIR CX Series, CX600
LG 27EA31
Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit

Already ordered two more sticks of ram so will be 16gb total ram.
CPU usage never gets hit very hard so I think I'm fine there.
Wondering if a graphics card would help anything?
The game looks pretty good visually already IMO, running 1080 on medium settings.
I don't plan on playing any other games on the PC, mainly a console guy(Xb1x). If a graphics card would help KSP run better at all then I'm open to suggestions for one, basically the bare minimum that would be better than the built in that the i5-3570K has.
Never been a PC gamer so never had the need for a dedicated GPU.
Also wondering if finally upgrading to Win10 would help it any.

Any help/suggestions/ridicule welcome.

Thanks.

[James Kerman]

Welcome to the forum @SNAZZ. I've moved your request for advice here, where our knowledgeable members give KSP hardware specification advice.

[Harry Rhodan]

5 hours ago, SNAZZ said:

CPU usage never gets hit very hard so I think I'm fine there.

Are you sure? KSP only uses one core most of the time. So if you see your CPU usage at 25% with a quad core CPU then that means it is running at the limit.

5 hours ago, SNAZZ said:

Wondering if a graphics card would help anything?

Yes. The internal CPU is really slow. A cheap upgrade would be an AMD RX 570 or a Nvidia GTX 1650 (S) or the older GTX 1050 (ti).

5 hours ago, SNAZZ said:

Also wondering if finally upgrading to Win10 would help it any.

Probably not with the game but the support for Windows 7 ends next month so you should update sooner or ... sooner.

[Mieyo]

Bought my amazing chromebook four months ago

running KSP pretty well lol (20 FPS or something like that)

[SNAZZ]

On 12/21/2019 at 12:59 PM, Harry Rhodan said:

Are you sure? KSP only uses one core most of the time. So if you see your CPU usage at 25% with a quad core CPU then that means it is running at the limit.

Yes. The internal CPU is really slow. A cheap upgrade would be an AMD RX 570 or a Nvidia GTX 1650 (S) or the older GTX 1050 (ti).

Probably not with the game but the support for Windows 7 ends next month so you should update sooner or ... sooner.

After watching it more closely CPU does get hit pretty good during loads, time warp or if I'm in low orbit looking at a planet behind my ship.

Would a graphics card help that since the CPU wouldn't be pulling double duty anymore?

[Geonovast]

4 minutes ago, SNAZZ said:

Would a graphics card help that since the CPU wouldn't be pulling double duty anymore?

Yes.  Even an old, low powered used one.  I've played KSP just fine using a GTX 550Ti that I picked up on a FB group for $25.  It's a 1GB card that came out 9 years ago.  This was with a 4th Generation Core i3.

[SNAZZ]

1 minute ago, Geonovast said:

Yes.  Even an old, low powered used one.  I've played KSP just fine using a GTX 550Ti that I picked up on a FB group for $25.  It's a 1GB card that came out 9 years ago.  This was with a 4th Generation Core i3.

Any opinion on Gigabyte GV-N1030OC-2GI?

Not wanting to spend much since I'm not into pc games other then ksp.

 

[Geonovast]

24 minutes ago, SNAZZ said:

Any opinion on Gigabyte GV-N1030OC-2GI?

I've never used a 1030.  But since it's almost certainly more powerful than that 550Ti, I imagine you'll be fine.

Personally I would go a little higher, just in case you find something else you do want to play.  There's nothing wrong with used cards, as long as they're quiet and they work.  If you're worried about mined cards (which I've seen some pretty good arguments about why used mined cards are actually better than gamed ones), I don't think many cards of the 50 tier were mined with.  So a used 1050 or 1050Ti would be worth looking into.  You could probably snag a used one of those for the price of a new 1030 or less.

[SNAZZ]

4 hours ago, Geonovast said:

I've never used a 1030.  But since it's almost certainly more powerful than that 550Ti, I imagine you'll be fine.

Personally I would go a little higher, just in case you find something else you do want to play.  There's nothing wrong with used cards, as long as they're quiet and they work.  If you're worried about mined cards (which I've seen some pretty good arguments about why used mined cards are actually better than gamed ones), I don't think many cards of the 50 tier were mined with.  So a used 1050 or 1050Ti would be worth looking into.  You could probably snag a used one of those for the price of a new 1030 or less.

I'll keep checking around for a used one then. Everything I keep finding locally used is around $200-$400. I'm looks for around the $100 mark.

 

Biggest problem seems to be the memory issue though. I have 8gb and KSP is running around 6.5-7.5gb constantly. I've ordered two more stick's to put in so I'll be at 16gb then. I'm assuming KSP will still hog the same amount then and not try to eat all 16gb? 

Edited December 23, 2019 by SNAZZ